Clothesline clamp lock



Nov. 10, 1936.

J. M CORMICK CLOTHESLINE CLAMP LOCK Filed April 2, 193a @qgidt 0 INVENTOR JOHN M CO/PM/C'A ATTO RN EY Patented Nov.) 10, 1936 UNITED STATE SAPATENT OFFICE- aoeoszsf cno'rnssnms CLAMP Loon Y John McCormick, Hillside, N. J. Application April 2, 1936, Serial No. 72,338

1 8 This invention relates to rope locks and the like articles.

An object of this inventionis to. provide a rope lock for adjustably connecting the ends of a clothes line, having meansto minimize wear on the-rope during adjustment or tightening thereof as the same is pulled through the lock previous to locking the rope.

. A further object of this invention is to provide in a rope lock of the character described, highly improved means for gripping the rope to prevent slipping when the lock is in locked condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rope lock or grip having a large variety of uses to a high degree in use.

The invention accordingly consists in the.

features of construction, combinations of ele-- ments, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafterdescribed, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

" Fig. 1 is a side elevational view 0! a clothes line provided with a rope lock embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged-longitudinal cross-sectional view of the improved rope lock;

151g. 3 is a bottom plan view of the rope lock; an

Fig. 4 is across-sectional view taken "online 4-4 of Fig. 2. Reierring now: in detail to the drawing. .lll designates a clothes lineor ropev having one end ll tied to a rope lock l2 embodying the inven-' tion, in the manner hereinafter appearing. The rope or line passes around a pair oi pulleys ll engaging hooks a attached to the wall II, and theiree end ll of the rope is clamped or gripped tothelockl2. A

The rope lock l2 comprises a member .23 made oi cast aluminum, sheet metal or or any other suitable material. Bald member has a top i wall It and depending parallel side walls 23. Said side walls arev interconnected atone end by a substantially semi-cylindrical portion 24. At

invention will in part be .ior the purpose oi illustration as applied'to a other ends thereof, said side walls are inter-v connected by a semi-circular portion 25 disposed in a downwardly and outwardly inclined plane. Said side walls 23 furthermore have two pair of depending ears 26, 21. Interconnecting the ears 26 is a pin or rivet "on which is mounted a loose roller or ring 29.

Interconnecting the other pair oi ears 21 is a pin 'orrivet 30 parallel tothe first pin and-on which is pivoted a rope gripping lever or member 31 having a head 32 provided with an eccentric ribbed or ridged edge 33 and a handle 33 extending substantially diametrically oppositely to said head. As shown in- Fig. 2 of the drawing, the cammed or eccentric edge 33 increases in radius from the axis of pin 30 in a counter-clockwise direction so that as the member 31 is rotated in a clockwise direction, said edge moves closer to r the undersuriace of top wall 2|.

' As shown in the dr'awing, furthermore, the

semi-circular portion 2 forms an opening 33 at one end of the rope loc below the top wall 2|.

Said top wall has an opening 36 adjacent the semi-circular portion 24, anopening 33 above the pin 30, and may also be formed with an opening 33 above pin 28. I

One end of the rope or clothes line It may be passed through the opening 38' and tied to" the portion 24, The other end ii of the rope is then threaded through opening between the side walls 23, between the gripping head 32 and top .wall- 2| and over the roller 29.

With the gripping member in the releasin position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the end l6 0! the rope may be pulled or tightened, the rope end being grasped as by a person projecting a hand through a window in the wall I! adjacent the rope loclr.' It will be noted that the rope can be pulled toward said wall, the rope passing around the roller 23, irictional wear being substantially eliminated by reason oi said roller.

* I When the rope has been sufficiently tightened.

the gripping member is rotated in a clockwise di- "rection, looking at Fig. 2,-to bring the eccentric edge 33 into engagement with rope and'to press said rope partially into the opening 33 and against the top wall 2|. The natural pull on the clothes line will tend to rotate the gripping member 3| into increasingly gripping or clamping position. The provision of the opening '38 provides an additional gripping actionon the rope as does also the provision oi ridges or ribspn edge.

Although the rope lock is shown in the drawing be conveniently grasped by the user for rotating the lever in either direction.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a de vice in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall and depending portions interconnected by a pin, a lever pivoted on said pin, having an eccentric edge, said top wall having an opening above said pin, the depending portions of said member being further interconnected by a second pin parallel to said first pin, and a roller on said second pin.

2. A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall and depending parallel walls, said parallel walls being interconnected by a semi-cylindrical portion atone end, and by a semi-circular downwardly and outwardly inclined portion at the other end, said side walls having two pair depending ears each interconnected by a pin, a roller on one pin, and a lever pivoted on the other pin and having ahead and a handle, said head having an eccentric edge.

3. 'A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall'and depending parallel walls, said parallel walls being interconnected by a semi-cylindrical portion at one end-and by a semi-circular downwardly and outwardly inclined portion at the other end, said side walls having two pair 0! depending ears each interconnected by a pin, a roller on one pin, and a lever pivoted on the other pin and having a head and a handle, said head having an eccentric edge, said handle .proiecting substantially diametrically oppositely to said head.

4. A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall and depending parallel walls, said parallel walls being interconnected by a semi-cylindrical portion at one end, and by a semi-circular downwardly and outwardly inclined portion at the other end, said side walls having two pair of depending ears each interconnected by a pin, a

roller on one pin, and a lever pivoted on the other pin and having a head and a handle, said head having an eccentric edge, said handle projecting substantially diametrically oppositely to said head, said eccentric edge having ribs thereon.

5. A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall and depending parallel walls, said parallel walls being interconnected by a semi-cylindrical portion at one end,-and by a semi-circular downwardly and outwardly inclined portion at the other end, said side walls having two pair of depending ears each interconnected by a pin, a roller on one pin, and a lever pivoted on the other pin and having a head and a handle, said head having an eccentric edge, said top wall having an opening above the pin on which the lever is mounted.

6. A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall and depending parallel walls, said parallel walls being interconnected by a semi-cylindrical portion at one end, and by a semi-circular downwardly and outwardly inclined portion at the other end, said side walls having two pair of depending ears each interconnected by a pin, a roller on one pin, and a lever pivoted on the other pin and having a head and a handle, said head having an eccentric edge, said top wall having an opening above the pin on which the lever is mounted, said top wall also having an opening adjacent said semi-cylindrical portion.

7. A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall and depending parallel walls, said parallel walls being interconnected by a semi-cylindrical portion at one end, and by a semi-circular downwardly and outwardly inclined portion at the other end, said side walls having two pair of depending ears each interconnected by a pin, a roller on one pin, and a lever pivoted on the other pin and having a head and a handle, said head having an eccentric edge, said handle projecting substantially diametrically oppositely to said head, said eccentric edge having ribs thereon, said top wall having an opening above the pin on which the lever is mounted.

8. A rope lock comprising a member having a top wall and depending parallel walls, said parallel walls being interconnected by a semi-cylindrical portion at one end, and by a semi-circular downwardly and outwardly inclined portion at the other end, said side walls having two pair 01 depending ears each interconnected by a pin, a roller on one pin, and a lever pivoted on the other pin and having a head and a handle, said head having an eccentric edge, said handle projecting substantially diametrically oppositely to said head, said eccentric edge having ribs thereon, said top wall having an opening above the pin on which the lever is mounted, said top wall also having an opening adjacent said semi-cylindrical portion.

JOHN McCORMICK. 

